As the invasion of Ukraine continues, FCA is providing shelter, transportation and aid to FCA Ukrainian staff in Ukraine, Eastern Europe and Kansas City.
The FCA ministry in Ukraine was founded in 2009 and has grown to 22 Ukrainian staff in addition to 6 staff in the FCA Divisional Office who serve both Europe and Eurasia. When the war on Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, 14 FCA Ukraine staff and 16 family members were in the U.S. at FCA’s all-staff conference, and 14 staff were still in Ukraine. Six of the staff in Ukraine were able to travel to Germany, Poland and Slovakia, while the remaining 8 staff and their families are still in Ukraine. The Ukrainian staff and family members, who were in the U.S. when the war began, are being supported near the FCA Support Center in Kansas City, Missouri until they can return to their homes.
The FCA Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund has been created to provide vital emergency relief for FCA teammates and their families who are still in Ukraine and those who have been displaced to other countries. The fund’s purpose is to help with unforeseeable expenses that are beyond our teammates’ control and are a result of this crisis.
“It is amazing to see God’s people step up and help support the efforts to love, care and serve the Ukraine staff that are still in Ukraine, U.S. and spread throughout Europe,” said Dan Britton, FCA’s Chief Field Officer.
FCA Ukraine Director Sasha Alexandrov said, “Some of the staff who are still in Ukraine are trying to stay strong physically, but emotionally they are crushed.”
FCA CEO and President Shane Williamson commented, “Our thoughts and prayers extend to our FCA team, their families, and the entire nation of Ukraine. As the world watches the inconceivable and senseless act of aggression in the invasion of Ukraine, may the followers of Jesus commit to be more motivated than ever to the Gospel. These types of aggressions spotlight the depravity that humanity can reach when sin has fully grown and gives birth to death. (James 1:15)
“This is a complete separation from what is right and good, the value of life, and the inalienable right for freedom. We are asking God to deliver Ukraine from evil. May He have mercy and heal this land. May He give Ukraine peace and the chance to develop as a nation that values truth, justice, and freedom, rooted in the goodness of God.”
God is using this time to draw people to Himself. Stories are coming in from staff that they are still meeting with coaches through Zoom and finding ways to share God’s Word. It’s encouraging, though there is still much uncertainty in the coming months. “Part of the battle is you don’t know what’s going to happen and you don’t know when it’s going to happen,” said Britton.
Divisional Vice President of FCA North Global Andriy Kravtsov stated, “We thank you for praying and standing with us during this time. We are not alone—we know that God created the Church, and the Church is a body that continually serves its members. Even today, I got a message from one of our staff members, and he could not believe how the people are serving all the Ukrainians who have been displaced. God is moving, and His Gospel is continuing to be proclaimed.”
Through FCA, over 1,500 New Testament Bibles have been delivered to Ukrainian refugee camps in Poland to bring the light of Christ into the darkness of this crisis. FCA Ukraine’s aim is to ultimately reach 80,000 coaches in Ukraine with the Gospel through FCA Huddles, Bibles, or other means.
For more information on how to help those affected, please view FCA’s Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund.
Watch the news interview here.
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